Rechargeable batteries are being designed for and used in varied applications with different requirements for electrical energy. The rechargeable battery systems comprise rechargeable cells which receive electrical energy during charging operations and supply electrical energy to a load during discharging operations. Rechargeable cells may have different chemistries and may include Lithium cells in one example. The number of rechargeable cells used in different applications is varied depending upon the requirements of the load, and the number of cells may be numerous in some implementations, for example, transportation implementations.
Individual battery cells typically have an operational voltage, for example, 3.2 VDC for Lithium battery cells. Depending upon the application of use, individual battery cells may be coupled in series to provide electrical energy to a load at an appropriate voltage. Individual battery cells may also be coupled in parallel to supply a desired amount of charge capacity.
Balancing of the battery cells may be problematic due to different characteristics of the individual battery cells. In addition, a battery cell may be damaged if its voltage gets too high or too low and may fail to charge once damaged.
At least some aspects of the disclosure are directed towards rechargeable battery systems and methods.